The Jets will need to get pressure on Newton, even if the 6-5, 248-pound quarterback is a challenge to bring down. Despite Newton’s size, opponents have had some success sacking him this season. Newton has been sacked on 8.3 percent of his drop-backs – the ninth-highest percentage in the NFL. In Sunday’s 31-13 win over Carolina, New Orleans sacked him five times on 39 drop-backs – 12.8 percent. Multiple times since that game, Jets coach Rex Ryan has talked about the Saints’ approach with their defensive coordinator and his twin brother, Rob.

RB CHRIS IVORY VS. LB LUKE KUECHLY AND LB THOMAS DAVIS

Ivory has performed well in four of the Jets’ past five games. Against New Orleans, he had 18 carries for 139 yards – a season-best 7.7 yards per carry. Then he had 15 for 98 at Buffalo (6.5), nine for 35 at Baltimore (3.9), 12 for 61 against Miami (5.1) and 18 for 76 against Oakland (4.2). Ivory is now 109 yards ahead of Bilal Powell for the Jets’ rushing lead, with 639 yards. Kuechly and Davis are part of the reason why the Panthers lead the NFL with 79.4 rushing yards allowed per game. Kuechly has 131 tackles, Davis 121.

JETS OFFENSIVE TACKLES VS. PANTHERS DEFENSIVE ENDS

Left tackle D’Brickashaw Ferguson and right tackle Austin Howard will have to handle Charles Johnson and Greg Hardy, who lead the Panthers with 8½ and seven sacks, respectively. Carolina ranks third in the NFL with a sack percentage of 8.4. The Saints lead the league in that category, having sacked opposing quarterbacks on 9.2 percent of their drop-backs. So perhaps Rex Ryan can (or already did) have his brother pass the phone over to Sean Payton, so Ryan can ask how the Saints limited the Panthers to two sacks on 44 drop-backs by Drew Brees.

DID YOU KNOW?

The Panthers’ third-year head coach, Ron Rivera, played for Ryan’s father, Buddy. Chicago drafted Rivera, a linebacker, in 1984, making him the first man of Puerto Rican descent to play in the NFL. In Rivera’s second season, the Bears won the Super Bowl. Their defensive coordinator that season: Buddy Ryan, who had held that post since 1978. Ryan became the Eagles’ head coach in 1986, so he coached Rivera for just two seasons. Rivera played his entire career with the Bears and retired after the 1992 season. He was a starter from 1988-90 and finished his career with 7½ sacks and nine interceptions.

THE NUMBER

1

Player in NFL history with 10,000 yards passing, 50 touchdowns passing, 1,000 yards rushing and 25 touchdowns rushing in his first three seasons. That player is Newton. He has started all 45 games of his NFL career and has 10,696 yards passing, 60 touchdowns passing, 1,942 yards rushing and 28 touchdowns rushing.